One Week, One Life - Day 5 – the last

It’s time to go. And I go alone.

There are quite a few here to see me off. A lot more than I would have ever guessed. I always imagined I would die with a nurse, and maybe one or two of my kids around. But almost the whole family is here.

Now, to the typical end of life questions:

Was it a good life? Yes it was.

Would you have changed anything? This is a much harder question. There are points in my life that I would have rather not gone through, but if I had been spared those times, would later times have been impacted? Who knows. So I’ll go with “No, I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

One hundred years… you have seen so much development in mankind. Development? Technologically, sure. Emotionally, I don’t know. I’m not one of those “things are getting so bad” kind of guys. I just don’t know if our emotional growth is keeping pace with our technological growth.

Any last words? If you know me, you know I have a few last words. But looking over my life, I think I have said all I can say.

And the interview was over. I allowed my entire body, mind, and soul to relax – relax back into my Maker’s arms.

One hell of a life --- yes it was.

One Week, One Life - Day 4

Three-quarters of a century. To some, that’s a long time. Doesn’t seem that long to me. At least until I get out of bed. Then my body reminds me it has been a long time.

Some of my contemporaries have left already. Others are on the way out. And then there is that group that is refusing to even pack. “Why pack?” they say. “Can’t take it with you anyway.” I enjoy that group immensely.

Which group am I in?

Obviously not the first. I’m here, aren’t I? Some days I feel like I’m a full-fledged member of the on the way out group. Then I somehow shake that off and move back to the its fun to be alive group.

And it is fun to be alive. I can flirt with anyone, and they just laugh. I can say silly things, and they just laugh. Of course, when I try to spread wisdom, they just laugh also. Its nice to bring so much laughter into this world.

One Week, One Life - Day 3

Another day off to work. Its not good. Its not bad. It just is.

So much of my life has become “just is.”

“How are you?” “Fine.”
“And you?” “Fine.”

Except the “Fines” are not so frequent anymore:

“Not so good. My son has cancer and is not doing so well.”

“I’ve been better. My parents are getting older and I just don’t know what they should do.”

“Damn government. Don’t ask me how I am. Ask the government. They know everything else.”

It seems at 50 that the realities of life truly begin to set in. And the results of those decisions made earlier in life become clear. Choices of jobs, mates, food, life styles all result in what I am today.

But on the sunnier side, I see a day where my choices are once again opening up.

Just hope I last long enough to get there.

One Week, One Life - Day 2

“Happy Birthday Johnny”
“Congrats you old fart”
“Didn’t think you’d ever make it to be this old”
“Do you any more beer around?
…

I’m 25. It’s time to decide what to do with my life.

High School? Been there, done that.

College? Been there, done that.

Junk jobs? Lots.

Plan for my life? No. At least not yet.

So is it so bad not to have a plan for my life. Hey, I’m only 25. Still young enough to drink all night and sleep all day. Only problem is paying during those nights, and then paying for those nights the next day.

So what is so special about a plan for your life anyway? Did the greats have a plan? Okay, maybe they did. But not everyone has a plan. I bet that homeless guy doesn’t have a plan. Okay, bad example. Surely not everyone has a plan.

Maybe I should just plan to sit down and make a plan. That’s it. I do it tomorrow. Well, maybe this weekend. Well…

One Week, One Life - Day 1

Day 1
Confused?

You bet I’m confused. All of this is new to me.

I hear sounds, but don’t know what they are. Oh, I can tell which ones excite me, which ones soothe me, and which ones scare me. But I don’t know what they really are and how I can relate them to anything.

I smell smells. And yes, some are pleasing while others are disgusting. I’m starting to think that I somehow contribute to the disgusting ones, for pretty soon after the smell comes, I am thrown into some big activity which eventually replaces the disgusting with a pleasing smell.

I feel … well, things I guess you would call them. I feel soft, warm things, that most of the time come at the same time as the soothing sounds and sweet smell. I feel rough things, which also come with soothing sounds but the smell? Not so sweet. I feel hot things, cold things, wet things, slippery things, hard things, and things that seem to fall apart as soon as I try to feel them.

I see flavors of things, but can’t quite seem to focus on anything definite. I see wisps of motion, sometimes combined with feelings and smells, but sometimes just accompanied by a soft, repeating sound. The things I see are sometimes huge and sometimes small; sometimes fast and sometimes don’t seem to move at all.

I taste but I’m not sure what I am tasting. There is something warm and liquidy that I like. There are lots of hard things which I continue to taste but just don’t do anything for me. And there have been a few things I tasted that I hope I never taste again.

So it seems I have five senses, but not enough sense to know what it is I am sensing.

Well, after all, it is only Day 1.

Day 4

four days into two zero zero six
time to put the holidays into the attics
time to sit down and read the comics

for life has given enough time to work

but it is up to us to find enough time to play

Let no bricks

or sticks

come into my hand

unless

I am building

Day 2

Its day 2 of this new year. Still too early to tell what kind of year it will be.

It did start well, with a Rams victory over the Cowboys yesterday. Texas Tech is playing Alabama in the Cotton Bowl right now.

It will be weird going back to work tommorow after 2 1/2 weeks off. Guess I will need to "get back in it" though.

Happy New Years Cyberspace.